Spc. Ashley Pullen

Remember when “women in combat” was a hot topic? Our military women were bombarded with stories about how they couldn’t do a man’s job, how the “protection instinct” would distract men operating around women in combat, how they couldn’t handle the physical tasks.

Let me introduce you to Kentucky Army National Guard Spc. Ashley Pullen. Pullen and her security detail were escorting a 30 vehicle convoy when the group was ambushed. The security forces immediately headed for the bad guys, cutting off their escape and disrupting their coordinated attack.

Then, as told in Defenselink, “(She) heard a call for help over the radio. Pullen backed her Humvee into a better position, jumped out, and ran 90 meters through the line of fire toward the injured soldier. She administered first aid and tried to calm him down. As she was treating him, another soldier launched a shoulder-held rocket toward a nest of insurgents. Although he warned of the impending firing, Pullen couldnâ€™t move out of the way fast enough. She threw her small frame over the wounded soldier to protect him from the blast â€“ a blast that threw her off the soldier onto her backside.”

Pullen was awarded a Bronze Star with “V” for her actions that day.

The debate is over as far as I’m concerned. Our women are tough and motivated, and are playing a vital role in our armed forces. Spc. Pullen is the manifestation of what American servicewomen are capable of, and symbolic of what women are doing every day in defense of our country. She is our Hero of the Week.